The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1887-06-08
Our Old and New NavIes.

Should the North Atlantic squadron.
which is to cruise along the Eastern coast
this summer, visit Portland harbor, our peo-
pie will see great change in the appear
ance OF the vessels that compose it. Last
year we had the Tennessee. a full rigged ship,
2,S40tons, with her twenty-t two guns arranged
for the old style Of broadside firing. She was
the only first rate man-of-war in the United
States navy, the last of the old style of war
ships that figured at the Nile, Trafalgar,
and in the duels that made the American
navy so famous in 1s12-14 Meme Of the 9TH
er vessels here last summer approached the
Tennessee in size. The Swatara and Gale
ma carried but eight guns each, and the ton
mage Of each was but $40. The Yantic.
though, belonging to the same class with
them, the third rate, carried only guns and
was Of but 40 tons burden. The North At
iantic Squadron, as 1t lay In our harbor last
summer, represented very fairly the condi-
ton Of our whole navy at that time,-a
transitional state when old types were
crumbling to pieces to make room for the
new ones about to take their places. Since
then the Tennessee has gone. Her broad
decks and comfortable cabins, remembered
for galley and graceful hospitality, will be
missed all along the New England coast this
summer, In her place will be the Richmond,
smaller, second rate vessel, carrying four
teen guns, and Of tonnage of 1,525, but yet
considerably larger than the Yantic and Ga
lena, which are the only vessels left of those
here last summer. But with these relics of
the old navy of the past, there will be one or
TWO vessels that are samples of the new
navy. the navy of the future. The Atlanta,
and possibly the Dolphin, will bs with the
North Atlantic squadron this summer.
Should they visit Portland there will be
fine opportunity for comparing the two types
OF men-of-war. The Atlanta is steel cruis-
er, In size somewhat smaller than tho old
Tennessee, and about as large as the Rich
mond. The displacement Of the Tennessee
Is 4,840, Of the Richmond 2,700, Of the At
lanta 5000. But the Atlanta Is as different
from the Tennessee or Richmond as one of
the Allan or Dominion steamers is different
from the wooden, square-rigged ships that
come sailing leisurely in from South Ameri-
ca or the far East. With the Boston and
Chicago, and the little despatch boat Dol
phin, the Atlanta forms the nucleus of what
- w ~ NuA hVuOin navy. WIN ncr Two
seyen-inch and six six-inch guns mounted
according to modern plans, she will be a
very different appearing craft from the
Richmond Galena or Yantic. But while
the Atlanta, and her sister ships Boston and
Chicago, are far better than the old vessels.
they must not be taken as fair examples of
what our new navy is or ought to be. The
Atlanta, though built Of steel, is unarmored.
She is chiefly valuable as cruiser, and as
such her speed is but fourteen knots an hour.
Almost every nation has heavy armored
vessel that could knock her out in fight, or
cruiser that could beat her in chase or pur-
suit. But, nevertheless, the Atlanta is a
very good vessel, and with her sister ships
makes respectable nucleus around which
to gather the new navy At the present
time contractors are figuring on the plans
Of the future fleet that is to be added to
the Atlanta, Boston Chicago and Dolphin.